


soul portrait

by peachsneakers



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Dukexiety - Freeform, Fluff, M/M, Painting, Sympathetic Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Watercolors
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-27
Updated: 2020-04-27
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:02:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 631
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23872048
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peachsneakers/pseuds/peachsneakers
Summary: Remus has fun with watercolors.
Relationships: Anxiety | Virgil Sanders/Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders
Comments: 17
Kudos: 226





	soul portrait

"All right, don't move now," Remus comments absently, contradicting his own words as he bounces on his artist's stool, leg jiggling against the messy floor. Virgil huffs a self-indulgent breath and settles down, trying to find a comfortable position in the comfiest chair Remus owns. He looks up in time to meet Remus's anxious gaze.

"You good?" Remus asks. Virgil nods, giving him the a-okay sign with one hand. The sleeve of his hoodie drapes over his fingers and he nervously tugs it back up. When Remus cornered him after breakfast and breathlessly asked if he would like to be Remus's subject for the day, quivering like an over-excited puppy, Virgil hadn't been sure _what_ to expect. Even when Remus clarified he meant to paint, he more than half-expected to be splattered with various colors until he resembled some arcane art exhibit in the middle of the world's oddest museum.

"You're purple today," Remus announces, out of nowhere. "It's a purple day." 

"I like purple," Virgil says, wrapping his arms around his knees and smiling. Remus grins back at him before his features transform into a mock scowl.

"No moving!" Remus commands. Virgil's lips twitch as he nods in obedience. 

Remus paints with broad, sloppy strokes, but Virgil knows already that it's going to be something good. It always is. Roman is not the only one with talent, much as Ro is loathe to admit it sometimes.

"This is nice," Virgil murmurs, some time later, lulled by the sound of Remus's deliberately tuneless humming and the sound of the paint brush scratching across the canvas. Sunlight spills through the cracked window set high in the wall, haloing Remus's head in gold.

"It is," Remus agrees happily. "You need a break, storm cloud?" Virgil shakes his head.

"I'm fine," he assures his boyfriend. "It's not exactly arduous to sit in a chair while you paint me."

"Busting out the big words," Remus says, and laughs. Virgil can feel heat rise to his cheeks, staining them pink.

"I've been spending too much time with Logan apparently," he says. Remus grins.

"I like big words," he says. "I'm almost done. You wanna see?"

"Sure," Virgil says. "But uh, only if you're okay with it."

"I wouldn't have offered otherwise," Remus says simply. He turns the canvas around carefully, and Virgil's mouth drops open.

It is more abstract than he figured it would be, he doubts anyone could necessarily pick him out of a crowd, but at the same time, he feels more exposed, his vulnerabilities laid bare in stripes and whorls of varying shades of purple. He is depicted in a chair, huddled in on himself, watchful purple eyes staring out at the world. The piece is edged in vivid, poisonous green, intertwining with the purple in delicate tendrils. Faded spiders and octopus tentacles war for dominance in the background.

"I love it," Virgil whispers. Remus has an oddly vulnerable expression on his face, like he's just waiting for Virgil to sneer or make fun of it. "Remus, this is really, really good. You know that, right?"

"No," Remus admits. He takes a look at it himself and smiles. "But now I do."

"I love it," Virgil repeats. "The- the others should see it, too." He almost doesn't want to let them see, but the thought of Remus's talent going unrecognized hurts more, stings in an exquisitely painful way that he can't explain. Remus hesitates, looking at it.

"Nah," Remus says. "It's enough that you like it, Virge. I don't need anyone else to see it."

"Wanna put it up on the wall?" Virgil suggests instead. Remus grins.

"Sure!" He says. "Right so you're just _there_ , staring at anyone who dares intrude. Like my brother." Virgil laughs.

"Sounds like a plan then," he says.


End file.
